I’ll miss Peter and the dogs, but I’m so excited to get back to Bridge of Weir this week to visit my dad, step-mum and little brother. Not surprisingly, my favorite moments are always in the kitchen with my father, and on this trip we’re going to focus on traditional Scottish recipes.

Rumbledethumpsis a traditional dish from the Scottish Borders. The main ingredients are potato, cabbage and onion. Similar to Irish colcannon, and English bubble and squeak, it is either served as an accompaniment to a main dish or as a main dish itself.

Cullen Skink is a thick Scottish soup made of smoked Finnan haddie, potatoes and onions. Lacking the traditional ingredient, any other undyed smoked haddock will suffice. This soup is a local speciality, from the town of Cullen in Moray, on the north-east coast of Scotland. The soup is often served as a starter at formal Scottish dinners.

Clapshot is a traditional Scottish dish that originated in Orkney and may be served with haggis, oatcakes, mince, sausages or cold meat. It is created by the combined mashing of potatoes and swede turnips (“neeps and tatties”) with the addition of chives, butter or dripping, salt and pepper; onions in some versions.

Skirlie is a traditional Scottish dish. It is eaten on its own, used as a stuffing for a mock-sausage, the mealie pudding, or used as a stuffing for chicken (most commonly) or other fowl. Oatmeal was a staple ingredient of the Scottish diet, it absorbs other flavours and is filling, so it was found in many dishes of Scottish cooking. Skirlie was used to ‘pad’ out a meal in which meat would have been scarce. In the North East it is eaten with mince as well as with chicken. It is still a much loved dish in Scotland today.

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Favorite Quote:

“One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends.”
Author Laurie Colwin